Pneumatic-despatch-tube apparatus.



2 BHEETB-SHEET 1.

No. 790,456. YPATENTED MAY 23, 1905.

0. s. PIKE. PNEUMATIC DBSPATGH TUBE APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 12,1904.

PATENTED MAY 23 1905.

0. S. PIKE.

' PNEUMATIC DESPATGH TUBE APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 12,1904.

2 snns'rs-snnm- 2.

.\\\ 111 'IIIIIIIIIIIIII UNITED STATES latented May 23, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

PNEUMATIC SERVICE COMPANY, OF DOVER, DELAWARE, A CORPO- RATION OF DELAWARE.

PNEU'MATlC-DESPATCH-TUBE APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 790,456, dated May 23, 1905.

Application filed PebruarylZ, 1904. Serial No. 193,233. v

transmission-tube without allowing air from the transmission-tube to escape into the atmosphere violently;

Another object of my invention is to provide means whereby the carriers may be brought entirely into the receiving-chamber promptly and automaticall T and rom tl T discharged therefrom. 3 p 3 The terminal consists, essentially, of a receiving-chamber forming a continuation of the transmission-tube, a valve between the receiving-chamber and the transmissiontube, a valve between the receiving-chamber and the atmosphere,- and mechanism for operating the valves.

My invention consists of certain novel features hereinafter described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate a construction embodying my invention, Figure 1 is an elevation of the terminal with valves and mechanism in their Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is an elevation, partly in section, showing valves and mechanism in position for discharging a carrier from the terminal. Fig. 4 is a section through the receiving-chambers and valves when the valves are in their normal position. Fig. 5 is a similar view showing the valves in position for discharging a carrier. Fig. 6 is a section through the piston slide-valve and: auxiliary cylinder, hereinafter described, showing parts in their normal positions. Fig. 7 is a horizontal section through the piston slidevalve, showing the same in'the opposite position to that shown in Fig. 6.

Like letters of reference refer to like parts throughout the several views.

A is the end of the transmission-tube, the

arrow-head B showing the direction in which the carrier travels.

A is a grated T, having the ports A leading from its interior into the annular space A surrounding. The air coming through the tube A passes through the ports A into the .annular space A and thence into the pipe A. V

A is a receiving-chamber forming a continuation of the transmission-tube and normally closed to the atmosphere by the valve A A A is a valve interposed between the receiving-chamber A and the T A and normally open.

Valves A and A are So constructed that when their axes are placed in line with the axis of the receiving-chamber A carriers can pass through them freely. Valves A A are suitably mounted on trunnions, the front trunnions being attached to the cranks A A", respectively. The crank A is connected to the bell-crank A by the connecting-rod B.

The crank A is connected to the bell-crank B by the connecting rod B The bellcranks A and B are operated by rollers B and E, respectively mounted on the wristplate B and working between the jaws B and B of the bell-cranks A and B respectively. The wrist-plate B is in turn actuated by the piston B in the cylinder 13, the piston B being connected to the Wrist-plate B by the piston-rod B and the connectingrod 0. The piston B? is operatedby a supply of compressed air or other fluid admitted to the cylinder B through the pipes C or C "The supply of com ressed air above referred to is controlle by the piston shdevalve C inthe valve-chest Ct, Fig. 6. This valve-chest O is fitted with ports 0 C, leading to the pipes C and C, respectively. The construction of the slide-valve C and valvechest C is well known in the art.

The supply of compressed air for operating the mechanism is introduced into the valvechest C through the pipe C from any suitable source. Attached to the valve-chest C is an auxiliary cylinder C Fig. 6. In this cylinder C is an auxiliary piston C and attached 5 to the piston C is the piston-rod (3 The valve C is pushed to the right by the piston C, as hereinafter described. The valve C is pushed to the left by the rod D, Figs. 1, 2, and 3, which is attached to the finger D, this finger being operated by the carrier D as the latter is discharged from the terminal. From the right-hand end of the auxiliary cylinder C the pipe D is led into the annular space A of the T A The pipe D leads from the receiving-chamber A at a point near the valve A to the left-hand side of the piston C in the cylinder C WVhen the carrier arrives at the terminal and after it has passed the ports A in the T A, a cushion of compressed air is formed in the chamber A by the energy of the carrier. In order to prevent this aircushion from stopping the carrier in the terminal before the carrier has passed entirely through the valve A the pipe D is led from a point in the chamber A near the valve A into the annular space A of the T A In the pipe D is a valve D, which controls the amount of air which may fiow through the pipe D The check-valve D in the pipe D opens in the direction of the arrow D and while it allows air to flow readily from the chamber A to the T A it prevents any flow in the opposite direction. By partially or wholly opening the valve D part or whole of 35Zthe air-cushion formed by the arriving carrier is destroyed by the air escaping through the by-pass pipe D thus allowing the carrier to be forced entirely through the valve A by its momentum. As the carrier advances into the valve A and receivingchamber A the pressure generated in front of the carrier passing through the pipe D forces the piston C in the cylinder C to the right, carrying with it the piston-valve C*. This allows compressed air from the pipe C to pass through the port G into the pipe C, thence to the left of the piston B in the cylinder B. This supply of compressed air forces the piston B to the right, at the same time moving the wrist-plate B a portion of a revolution. During the first portion of this movement the bell-crank A is revolved by means of the roller B working in the jaws B of the bell-crank A thus revolving the valve A from the position shown in Fig. 4 to that shown in Fig. 5. As the valve A reaches this position the roller B disengages from the jaws B of the bell-crank A and the lockingare D, mounted on the wrist-plate B engages with the curved portion D of the bell-crank A and locks the bell-crank A in position. During the motion of the bell-crank A the bell-crank B is similarly locked by the locking-arc D As the roller B disengages from the jaws B the roller E engages the jaws B of the bell-crank B and during the latter part of the movement of the wrist-plate B the valve A is opened into the position shown in Figs. 3 and 5. Leading from the T A to a point in thereeeiving-chamber A on the right and close to the valve A is a plpe E. In this pipe E is a check-valve E, which allows the air to pass in the direction shown by the arrow but not in the opposite direction. As the valve A opens, as above described, the pressure in the receivingehamber A escapes into the atmosphere. The pressure in the transmission-tube A causes the air to flow through the pipe E behind the carrier in the receiving-chamber A, and this forces the carrier out through the valve A into the receiving-trou h E. As the carrier slides along the trough IE it strikes the linger D and forces the piston-valve C to the left, as above described. This allows compressed air from the pipe C to pass into the port C and thence through the pipe C to the right of the piston B thus forcing the piston B to the left into its normal position, the valve A closing and the valve A opening successively in a manner similar to their opposite motions as described above, and thus restoring the valves to their normal positions, Fig. 5. Then the piston B moves to the right, previously described, the air on the right of the piston is exhausted into the atmosphere through the pipe C port C, and through the opening in the valve-chest C". Similarly when the piston B moves to the left the air to the left of the piston is exhausted into the atmosphere through the pipe C, the port C, and the opening E in the valve-chest C". As a carrier passes by the finger D or when a carrier is removed from the trough E said fingerD is forced back to its normal position, as shown in Fig. 1, by the spring E on the rod D.

The air from the pipe C is prevented from escapin directly into the atmosphere by the piston s ide-valve C, which compels the air from said pipe C to pass into the pipe C or pipe C, according as the piston slid e-valve O is in. the right-hand or left-hand position. (See Figs. 6 and 7.) The air from the pipe 0 passes through the pipe C or C to the cylinder B, as before described.

Having thus described the nature of my invention and set forth a construction embodying the same, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. In an apparatus of the character described, a transmission-tube, a terminal, a receiving-chamber in said terminal, a valve between said transmission-tube and said receiving-chamber, a valve between said receiving-chamber and the atmosphere, and a pipe establishing communication between said receiving-chamber and said. transmission-tube for relieving the air-cushion ahead of the carrier in the receiving-chamber.

2.In' an apparatus of the character described, a transmission-tube,- a terminal, a receiving-chamber in said terminal, a valve between said transmission-tube and said receiving-chamber, a valve between said receiving-chamber and the atmosphere, a pipe establishing communication between said receiving-chamber and said transmission-tube for relieving the air-cushion ahead of the carrier in the receiving-chamber, and a valve controlling the current of air flowing through said pipe.

3. In an apparatus of the character described, a transmission-tube, a terminal, a receiving-chamber in said terminal, a valve between said transmission-tube and said receiving-chamber, a valve between said receiving-chamber and the atmosphere, a'pipe establishing communication between said receiving-chamber and said transmission-tube for relieving'the air-cushion ahead of the carrier in the receiving-chamber, and a valve in said pipe allowing the flow of air from the receiving-chamber to the transmission-tube and preventing the flow of air from the transmission-tube to the receiving-chamber.

.4. In an apparatus of the character described, a transmission-tube, a terminal, a receiving-chamber in said terminal, a valve between said transmission-tube and said re ceiving-chamber, a valve between said receiving-chamber and the atmosphere, a pipe establishing communication between said receiving-chamber and said transmission-tube for relieving the air-cushion ahead of the carrier in the receiving-chamber, a valve controlling the current of air flowing through said pipe, and a valve in said pipe allowing the flow of air from the receiving-chamber to the transmission-tube and preventing the flow of air from the transmission-tube to the receiving-chamber.

5; In an apparatus of the character described, a terminal, a transmission-tube, a valve between the transmission-tube and the receivingchamber and normally open, a valve between the receiving-chamber and the atmosphere and normally closed, mechanism common to said valves for operating the same, a cylinder, a piston in said cylinder connected to said mechanism, an air-supply and mechanism in the line of travel of thecarrier and actuated thereby for operating said valve-operating mechanism to return said valves to their normal positions.

6. In an apparatus of the character described, a terminal, a transmission-tube, a valve between the transmission-tube and the receiving-chamber and normally open, a valve between the receiving-chamber and the atmosphere and normally closed, mechanism common to said valves for operating the same, a cylinder, a piston in said cylinder connected to said mechanism, an air-supply for operating said piston to move said valves, mechanism in the line of travel of the carrier and actuated thereby for operating said valve-operating mechanism to return said valves to their normal positions, and means for returning said carrier-operated mechanism to its normal position.

7. In an apparatus of the character described, a terminal, a transmission-tube, a

valve between the transmission-tube and the receiving-chamber and normally open, 'a valve between said receiving-chamber and the atmosphere and normally closed, a pipe for leading air in the transmission-tube from one side of the valve between the receivingchamber and the transmission-tube for forcing a carrier from the terminal.

8. In an apparatus of the character described, a terminal, a transmission-tube, a valve between the transmission-tube and the receiving-chamber and normally open, a

valve between said receiving-chamber and the atmosphere and normally closed, a pipe for leading air in the transmission-tube from one side of the valve between the receivingchamber and the transmission-tube for forcin a carrier fromthe terminal, and a checkva ve in said pipe allowing a flow of air from the transmission-tube to the receiving-chamber and preventing a flow of air from the receivingechamber to the transmission-tube.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, this eth day of February, A. D. 1904.

' OTTO s. PIKE.

Witnesses:

A. L. NUSSEL, A. R. LARRABEE. 

